EU needs more electric, hybrid cars to reach carbon goals: Study

BRUSSELS (REUTERS) - The European Union (EU) needs a leap in the number of electric and hybrid cars on the road over the next decade to succeed in cutting auto carbon emissions significantly by 2025, a British consulting firm found.

The study by Ricardo-AEA will stoke already difficult debate over how to implement a 2020 vehicle emission standard of 95g of carbon dioxide per kilometre.

The Commission has said it will publish a document later this year on low carbon car standards beyond 2020.

The consultancy, which advises governments and companies, looked at a set of scenarios for 2025 in the study, commissioned by campaign groups Greenpeace and Transport & Environment and seen by Reuters prior to official publication.